Mass. medical marijuana dispensaries app process under scrutiny

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Is the Department of Public Health effectively doing its due diligence when it comes to whittling down the list of companies who will run medical marijuana dispensaries? Questions remain after reports of potential conflicts of interest and falsified information on applications.

Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson tells Fox 25 one company falsely claimed in its application to have his support for a location near Boston Medical Center.

It did not have his support, but the company still managed to be granted what's now being called provisional approval.

And a firm headed up by former Congressman William Delahunt received approval for three locations. Something that raised eyebrows because of Delahunt's ties to the head of DPH.

"Obvious it's concerning to everybody, but what is missing in all the reports is that people who lie are not going to get licenses," said Governor Deval Patrick. "Nobody has gotten a license. There's been a first cut from 100 down to 20. There are nine different steps remaining."

Patrick is careful to point out no final licenses have been issued.

Still, weeks ago, state public health officials announced they had awarded 20 licenses to operate medical marijuana dispensaries.

FOX 25 Political Reporter Sharman Sacchetti asked Patrick if he thought those companies that did lie even should have made it this far in the first cut.

Patrick responded, "Well, look you can second guess the agencies all day long and a lot of people do, but I think the real results will be who ends up at the end with a license."

The House Speaker has asked State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez, the Chairman of the Committee on Public Health, to investigate how the department chose the 20-companies.

Representative Sanchez told us he is finalizing a list of questions to send to the agency next week.

Cox Media Group